Roadmap draws on 300 participant contributions
More than 300 live participant contributions shaped an emerging Social Cohesion Roadmap at the Think Social Cohesion National Summit in Parramatta on Wednesday 29 July 2026.
The summit brought together 160 invited leaders and was convened by SydWest, Settlement Services International and the Settlement Council of Australia.
According to the summit conclusions, Australia does not lack ideas on social cohesion. It lacks a shared framework for acting on them.
Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic opened the event with a keynote on multiculturalism and nation-building in Australia.
Husic told delegates that multiculturalism was built through necessity and hard work, not luck, fashion or political correctness.
“This country, for its success, needed multiculturalism. This was not a woke experiment. It is not something that is politically correct. It was a critical ingredient for the country’s success.”
In the same speech, Husic used the Great Barrier Reef as a contrast. He argued the reef sits within Australia’s borders by a cartographer’s fluke, while multiculturalism was built deliberately.
By the end of 29 July 2026, delegates had identified five priorities for the roadmap from the summit discussions.
Those five priorities were clear rights and responsibilities, broader community reach, economic participation, accountability for commitments, and a renewed national narrative that recognises multiculturalism as a defining strength.
Economic participation included practical issues raised in Parramatta, such as recognition of overseas qualifications, pathways into jobs and support for entrepreneurship.
Ed Husic and Peter Gutwein
Former Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein called on federal parliament to revisit a recommendation from the Multicultural Framework Review.
Gutwein urged MPs to formally pass a motion declaring Australia a multicultural country, reviving a recommendation already put forward in the review.
The summit also heard from Louise Perry, interim chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, during the 29 July 2026 programme.
Perry told delegates the Multicultural Victoria Bill had entered the Victorian Parliament at 12.10pm that afternoon.
Meanwhile, organisers promised every delegate a report within 28 days outlining what changed because of the contributions made at the summit.
They also committed to monitor the promises made in Parramatta and revisit progress over the following six months.
